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Inquiry on regional news cuts promised

SALLY SARA: Independent Senator Nick Xenophon says the axing of two regional television news services in South Australia last month is set to be independently investigated.

He says he's secured an undertaking that the federal communications watchdog will look into a loophole in federal legislation which exempts broadcasters in some states from providing local content.

Senator Xenophon says the loophole came to light when WIN Television cut its Riverland and south-east news broadcasts.

Rebecca Brice reports.

REBECCA BRICE: They're not the media laws that have been dominating parliamentary debate, but they've been keeping South Australian Senator Nick Xenophon busy.

Last week he introduced legislation in the Senate to review broadcasting rules around regional news services. Now he says the Communications Minister is launching an independent review.

NICK XENOPHON: I managed to get an undertaking from Minister Conroy that there will be an inquiry by ACMA, the regulator, into local content.

REBECCA BRICE: He wants it to consider inconsistencies in the way the Broadcast Services Act is applied across the country.

NICK XENOPHON: One of the arguments was that South Australia wasn't big enough to have distinct regional television areas in terms of local content requirements. It is the case though in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania. Western Australia, South Australia and the Northern Territory aren't covered. That's what this inquiry by ACMA will look at.

This, I think, will advance the issue in a very substantial way in addition to the Senate inquiry that will take place in terms of local content as a result of the bill I introduced recently.

NEWSREADER: Tonight, the Riverland gets a bad grade for its infrastructure and the SA country footy championships come to Berri.

REBECCA BRICE: Last month, WIN television cancelled its weeknight news broadcasts in South Australia's Riverland and south-east regions. Nick Xenophon says that was only possible through the legislative loophole.

NICK XENOPHON: You lose that level of local connectedness. You lose the local sports coverage. You lose the local political coverage. It's about making institutions in regional areas accountable, it's about real issues.

REBECCA BRICE: Steve Perryman is the Mayor of Mount Gambier in South Australia's south-east. He says it's still too early to assess how the axing of the local television news has affected the community.

STEVE PERRYMAN: There's certainly still a deep feeling of disappointment and resentment towards WIN television. It is a valued service that has been provided for 47 years and there is a void there, there's definitely a void for locals in terms of provision of news services with truly local content.

This is about a medium that is respected, that is relied upon, that is trusted by the community, and over 47 years that regional news content has been important to a whole range of groups across this region.

What is hard to understand is how WIN TV are permitted to do this to a region or a particular broadcast area but are required, it seems, to maintain under licensing regulation an equivalent service to other regions.

REBECCA BRICE: The council has written to the Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, raising its concerns.

Nick Xenophon hopes the inquiry will force the return of local content in South Australia.

NICK XENOPHON: I think that will carry some weight with the Minister. This is the best way to try and get the law changed and also to try and get those media outlets to reconsider their decisions in terms of local content.